AUTUMN WINDOW GARDEN
	Dried flowers collected from your own garden make  this lovely sill wreath arrangement very special. It's the perfect combination for autumn captured forever  and  country  charm  to  your  window decorating.
	YOU WILL NEED 8" window-frame base Three 2" diameter clay pots 8 oz. peat moss 8 oz. Spanish moss Ten to twelve of the following: pink carnations yellow mini mums purple asters springs of statice (various colors) springs of baby's breath springs of purple salvia Four pink roses Floral wire Hot glue gun with glue sticks 1. Prepare your dried flowers by trimming them, leaving at least a 2" stem. Do not make all stems the same length. This variety will create a more natural look, as if they really were potted plants. 2. In each clay pot place enough Spanish moss to fill up to 1/2 below rim. Cover moss with peat allowing some to stand above the rim. 3. Insert prepared stems into the moss. If you are having trouble, try using a pencil to open up the moss, then insert the flowers. 4. Once you are happy with your arrangements, glue the pots to the base. Use a large amount of hot glue to attach the pots securely. Glue one pot to each end of the base and one in the middle. Allow to dry and then check to make sure the pots are both secure and level. Add more glue if needed. Make sure pots are even with the base. The base should be able to stand on its own. 5. Begin decorating the base by embellishing the sides with the salvia. Start at the top of each side, overlapping as you work your way down and carefully gluing the stems. 6. At the center of the base , position the four pink roses to form a diamond shape. Fill in with statice and baby's breath, leaving the top of the arch undecorated. 7. If necessary, use a hairdryer on the lowest setting to remove any glue hairs. 8. Add a hook to the back of the base for hanging by cutting a 5" piece of floral wire and forming a loop you can tie to the back. the wreath can also be freestanding for a shelf, curio or mantel.
	RECOMMENDED BOOKS:
	Handmade Gifts from a Country Garden  by Laura C. Martin, David Schilling (Photographer)
	Handmade Gifts from a Country Garden is a classic example of what a crafts book should be. The text is charming without being cloying, the photography is exquisite, the crafts are lovely and unique, the directions are clear and simple, and the various appendixes and indexes are truly helpful.  The 60 projects are arranged seasonally, and time, cost, materials, difficulty, and shelf life are given for each one. The projects run the gamut of complexity, from small pots of herbs to a lacy bridal-flower album. It's not necessary to actually grow the ingredients -- all can be purchased. Several pages at the beginning of the book detail what is needed to start out, and a section at the back gives relevant information for growing the various plants used.
	Victorian Flowercrafts : Over 40 Stylish Gifts, Decorations and Recipes by Jane Newdick
	Flower crafters from beginner to expert will find a wealth of ideas as they tour a Victorian home, along the way discovering easy-to-follow instructions for such crafts as flower-and-spice mixtures for the kitchen, fruit and flower centerpieces, and violet water for the bath. 90 color photos.
	Brandywine Critters : Nature Crafts from 'a Brandywine Christmas' by Donna M. Gormel, Lucinda C. Laird (Editors), Michael Kahn (Photographer)
	Every Christmas season the Brandywine River Museum, famous for its Andrew Wyeth paintings collection, decorates its trees and galleries with "critters" -- whimsical characters made by hand from dried grasses, weeds, and pods. Now the creators of these delightful displays share their secrets and techniques. Color photos throughout.
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